This actor transformed into David Bowie for an uncanny imitation on this week's 'Vinyl'

The appearance of David Bowie on HBO's "Vinyl" Sunday night took on new meaning following the rock star's shocking death earlier this year.

Bowie is played on the Bobby Cannavale-starring drama about the '70s recording industry by Noah Bean, a regular TV actor who's been in everything from "Elementary" to "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia."

The way Bean got the job was fairly simple: He happens to look at lot like Bowie, and he knows Cannavale.

"Bobby's kind of always had a joke with me that I look so much like Bowie, and then he called me up and said, 'Hey, they are going to do a Bowie episode,'" Bean told Business Insider of the episode, "Cyclone," in which a new female A&R executive at American Century Records goes to Bowie's rehearsal, while he's singing "Suffragette City," in an attempt to sign him.

So Bean read for the role and got approved by executive producers Terence Winter and Martin Scorsese, and his tape was even sent to Bowie's team. (The show's first season was filmed in 2015, before Bowie's death from cancer, which he had kept hidden from the public.)

HBO

"I think Bowie had to give his blessing and to sign off on me portraying him, just from my tape," Bean said. "When I heard that, it was hugely intimidating to take this on. It's David Bowie."

Bean had actually met Bowie once backstage at a play the actor performed in New York City.

"I just remember him being so complimentary to us, which was so touching," Bean said. "I think the interesting about him as an artist was that with all of his reinvention, we never really knew him."

HBO

To prepare, Bean watched "Cracked Actor," a BBC documentary about Bowie from 1974, around the same period of the show ('73) when Bowie was coming off of the global success of his Ziggy Stardust era. On "Vinyl," Bowie, even in one scene, comes off as enormously charming, yet fundamentally unknowable.

"He had a great sense of humor. I was just trying to get a bit of his essence and then listening to his music and trying to lose some weight as well," Bean said. "I think cocaine was the staple of his diet. I didn't pick up a coke habit for this role, but I did try to lose as much weight as I could in a week and a half, which was basically just jump on the treadmill every day and put on 'Hunky Dory' and just run."

HBO also supplied Bean with the proper prosthetic "Bowie teeth" and the full costume and makeup to transform into the icon. The music you hear, however, comes from Bowie himself.

See David Bowie's life in photos:

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David Bowie through the years

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This actor transformed into David Bowie for an uncanny imitation on this week's 'Vinyl'

FILE i In this Sept. 17, 1980, file photo, David Bowie listens during a news conference after a rehearsal at the Booth Theater in New York. Bowie was appearing in the Broadway production of "The Elephant Man." Bowie, the innovative and iconic singer whose illustrious career lasted five decades, died Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, after battling cancer for 18 months. He was 69. (AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler, FIle)

February 1970: Pop singer David Bowie at the 'Disc and Music Echo' Valentine Awards ceremony at the Cafe Royal in London. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

9th July 1973: Pop singer David Bowie prepares to do some mileage with British Rail. (Photo by Smith/Express/Getty Images)

UNITED KINGDOM - JANUARY 07: NEWCASTLE CITY HALL Photo of David BOWIE, performing live onstage on Ziggy Stardust tour (Photo by Ian Dickson/Redferns)

FILE - This is an Oct. 1972 file photo of British singer David Bowie. Bowie, the other-worldly musician who broke pop and rock boundaries with his creative musicianship, nonconformity, striking visuals and a genre-bending persona he christened Ziggy Stardust, died of cancer Sunday Jan. 10, 2016. He was 69 and had just released a new album. (AP Photo/ File)

FILE - This is a Dec. 1, 1972 file photo of David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust period pictured in Philadelphia. Bowie, the other-worldly musician who broke pop and rock boundaries with his creative musicianship, nonconformity, striking visuals and a genre-bending persona he christened Ziggy Stardust, died of cancer Sunday Jan. 10, 2016. He was 69 and had just released a new album. (AP Photo, Brian Horton, File)

British rock singer David Bowie is photographed at a news conference to announce the signing of a multi-million dollar contract with EMI-America in Manhattan, New York City, on Jan. 27, 1983. (AP Photo)

Rock superstar David Bowie, making his first musical performance in America in half a decade, performs on stage at the U.S. Festival on May 31, 1983 at Glen Helen Regional Park in Devore, Calif. Bowie performed on closing night at the festival. (AP Photo/stf/Lennox McLendon)

A portrait taken on May 13, 1983 shows British singer David Bowie during a press conference at the 36th Cannes Film Festival. He is the main actor in Nagisa Oshima's film 'Furyo (Merry christmas Mr. Lawrence)', official selection in Cannes. He is also with French actress Catherine Deneuve maina ctor in Tony Scott's film 'The hunger' presented out competition at the festival. AFP PHOTO RALPH GATTI (Photo credit should read RALPH GATTI/AFP/Getty Images)

Paul McCartney, center, and his wife Linda McCartney, applaud David Bowie, left, and Bob Geldof, right, at the end of the London part of the Live Aid famine relief concert at Wembley Stadium, Saturday, July 13, 1985. At far left is Pete Townsend of The Who. The concert continued being broadcast around the world on TV from Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Joe Schaber))

Actors David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly in a scene from the movie 'Labyrinth', 1986. (Photo by Stanley Bielecki Movie Collection/Getty Images)

Rock stars David Bowie, left, and Peter Frampton are seen at a news conference in New York where Bowie announced his North American tour, March 18, 1987. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Musician David Bowie performs in concert circa 1987 in New York City. (Photo by L. Busacca/WireImage)

Rocker David Bowie, right, points to the hamburger that he wants for lunch during a barbecue for his crew at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, July 27, 1987. Bowie will kickoff the U.S. portion of his "Glass Spider" tour in Philadelphia this Thursday and Friday. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Singers David Bowie (L) and Eric Clapton pose for photographers during the 1995 Q Music Awards in London 07 November. Clapton was decorated with the order of British Empire (OBE) at a Buckingham Palace ceremony 07 November. AFP PHOTO Sean DEMPSEY (Photo credit should read SEAN DEMPSEY/AFP/Getty Images)

Rock star David Bowie poses for photgraphers upon his arrival to a Tel Aviv airport Tuesday July 2, 1996. Bowie is in Israel as part of his European concert tour. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

UNITED STATES - JANUARY 09: MADISON SQUARE GARDEN Photo of David BOWIE, David Bowie performing at Madison Square Garden, New York City on 9th January 1996 (Photo by David Corio/Redferns)

David Bowie during David Bowie Honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California, United States. (Photo by Magma Agency/WireImage)

NETHERLANDS - JULY 16: Singer David Bowie performs on stage at the Ahoy in Rotterdam during the Outside tour on July 16, 1996. (Photo by Paul Bergen/Redferns)

NEW YORK - JANUARY 09 : Singer David Bowie performs on stage during his 50th birthday benefit concert held at Madison Square Garden in New York City on January 09, 1997. (Photo by George De Sota/Redferns)

Rock and roll legend David Bowie gestures to the crowd before receiving the 2,083rd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 1997, as his wife, supermodel Iman, looks on. Bowie released his latest album, "Earthling," on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

FILE - In this Jan. 9, 1997, file photo, David Bowie performs during a concert celebrating his 50th birthday, at Madison Square Garden in New York. Bowie, the innovative and iconic singer whose illustrious career lasted five decades, died Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, after battling cancer for 18 months. He was 69. (AP Photo/Ron Frehm, File)

FRANCE - OCTOBER 14: David Bowie In Concert Of Paris On October 14th, 1999 In Paris,France (Photo by Frederic REGLAIN/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

(FILES) In this file picture taken on September 24, 2002 British singer David Bowie performs during a concert at the Zenith in Paris. British rock icon David Bowie broke a decade-long musical silence on January 8, 2013, unveiling a new single to coincide with his 66th birthday and announcing that he will release an album in March. The outlandish star surprised fans by posting a video for the single, entitled 'Where are We Now?', on his website, and it will also be available to download on iTunes. AFP PHOTO MARTIN BUREAU (Photo credit should read MARTIN BUREAU/AFP/Getty Images)

FILE - In this June 3, 2002, file photo, Iman, left, and her husband, singer David Bowie arrive at the Council of Fashion Designers of America Fashion Awards in New York. Bowie, the innovative and iconic singer whose illustrious career lasted five decades, died Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, after battling cancer for 18 months. He was 69. (AP Photo/Suzanne Plunkett, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2003 file photo, singer/songwriter David Bowie launches his United States leg of his worldwide tour called "A Reality Tour," at Madison Square Garden in New York. Bowie, the innovative and iconic singer whose illustrious career lasted five decades, died Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, after battling cancer for 18 months. He was 69 (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)

David Bowie during David Bowie Performs on 'The Today Show' Summer Concert Series - September 18, 2003 at NBC Studios, Rockefeller Plaza in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by James Devaney/WireImage)

NEWPORT, ENGLAND - JUNE 13: David Bowie performs on stage on the third and final day of 'The Nokia Isle of Wight Festival 2004' at Seaclose Park, on June 13, 2004 in Newport, UK. The third annual rock festival takes place during the Isle of Wight Festival which runs from June 4-19. (Photo by Jo Hale/Getty Images)

FILE - In this June 6, 2005 file photo, singer David Bowie and his wife Iman pose at the 2005 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York. Bowie, the innovative and iconic singer whose illustrious career lasted five decades, died Monday, Jan. 11, 2015, after battling cancer for 18 months. He was 69 (AP Photo/Stuart Ramson, File)

NEW YORK - OCTOBER 18: Model Iman and musician David Bowie arrive at the party for Iman's new book 'The Beauty of Color' hosted by Naomi Campbell October 18, 2005 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

NEW YORK - APRIL 26: Singer David Bowie attends the Vanity Fair Tribeca Film Festival Party at The State Supreme Courthouse April 26, 2006 in New York City. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Getty Images for TFF)

David Bowie during David Bowie in Concert - October 14, 2007 at Capital Theater in Port Chester, New York, United States. (Photo by Ke.Mazur/WireImage)

FILE In this Oct. 25, 2007 file photo, David Bowie arrives at the Fourth Annual Black Ball Concert for "Keep A Child Alive" in New York. Musical chameleon David Bowie is starting the year with two nominations for Britain's leading music awards, the Brits. Bowie, who turned 67 on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014, is up for male British artist of the year and album of the year, for his first release in a decade, "The Next Day." (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin, File)

FILE - In this June 7, 2010 file photo, David Bowie attends the 2010 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York. The New York Theatre Workshop said Thursday, April 2, 2015, that Bowie will team up with âOnceâ playwright Enda Walsh to create the musical âLazarusâ this winter. The show is inspired by Walter Tevisâ 1963 novel âThe Man Who Fell to Earth,â which was adapted into a 1976 film starring Bowie. The new musical will have new and old Bowie songs . (AP Photo/Peter Kramer, File)

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"It was funny, because I had to walk down the street in New York City from the trailer to the set and felt like a rock star," Bean said. "People wanted to take pictures with David Bowie. Even the crew was asking to get their picture taken with me. That helped. It just felt really joyful, which I think Bowie led his life that way, too.

"I had some stuff going on in my life, and it was so great to get into Bowie's world for me and do this thing. It was so fun," the actor continued.

And while Bowie's moment is all too brief on this week's "Vinyl," it may not be the last of him. The show was recently renewed for a second season.